Science, Art, and Education
Visualising the Impact of Climate Change
Bodeker Scientific Contacts
Greg Bodeker
Funding Programme
Curious Minds - Participatory Science Platform, MBIE
Duration
2020 - 2021
Background
The impacts of climate change on weather patterns, and particularly on extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, are increasingly becoming part of our daily news. Global climate change is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising sea level. There is scientific consensus that human activities are the primary cause of the observed changes over the past 50 years. Yet despite the bad news rising with the mercury, on the whole, the world is doing little to slow the pace of climate change, with carbon dioxide emissions climbing each year. While the majority of the public is aware of the global trend in temperatures, the impact of climate change on local regions and populations seems too distant in the future to warrant any action. Understanding the local changes due to climate change is vital if the population is going to adapt to the changing world around them. It is therefore essential that this information is provided to the general public in an easy to understand and engaging manner.
Project Goals
Animated and interactive 3D visual model
Working with students from Dunstan High School, Alexandra, we created a 3D animated, and interactive visualisation model of the Queenstown Lakes District (QLD). The model shows how different climate variables such as temperature and precipitation have varied, and will vary into the future with climate change in the local area. The goal was to investigate how effective the developed 3D model was as a communication tool to engage people and enable them to understand the issues and impacts of climate change, by making them visualise how things will look in their own neighbourhood.
Social experiment
Students conducted a social experiment comparing the 3D model as a communication tool with a traditional presentation. Our hypothesis was that by producing a 3D model we will be able to gain the attention of the general public and educate them about the local effects of climate change that will occur if no action is taken and that this visualisation will increase the awareness of the local community in a more impactful and meaningful way compared to other means of communication. By educating the population of the risks and probable future effects of climate change people will be able to plan ahead and make more informed decisions to mitigate the impact of climate change. Furthermore, making the public more aware of the local impacts of climate change will encourage action to reduce the impacts of climate change that will directly affect them where they live, work and play.